Author: @u/AnimalRescue-ModTeam | Official /r/AnimalRescue Brand Account

Posted: Sunday, April 5th, 2026

Verified & Partnered Professional Guidelines

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:bettersparkle:A little bit about us, Who We Are, and Where we’re going.

At r/AnimalRescue, our mission has always been to provide safe, accurate, and rapid response support for those assisting animals in need. To ensure our community remains a trusted resource for animal welfare, activism, and rehabilitation efforts we are proud to highlight our Verified Professionals Program, overseen by our team with Cardinal+.

Created in September 2010 we are a diverse community of animal lovers and rescuers, dedicated to all things animal & wildlife rescue related. In a world where misinformation can be life-threatening for a vulnerable creature, our community serves as a dedicated space where Redditors can seek immediate guidance on domestic rescues, wildlife rehabilitation, and animal emergencies. As we continue moving forward, and advancing our mission for the animals we serve, we are working toward a future where our community serves as a primary resource for educational outreach, advocacy, and empowering our community members to address animal welfare crises. We look forward to seeing you be apart of this, as we continue the mission for them, saving lives one paw at a time.

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:bettersparkle: What This Program Is All About

In an era where "armchair experts" are common, this program identifies individuals with the real-world experience, licenses, and clinical backgrounds necessary to handle life-or-death rescue situations. We’ve always offered this program to our community members, but now it’s been improved with our Cardinal+ Verification procedures and policies. This program focuses on empowering you to keep doing what you’ve likely been doing: giving advice to those in need. We see verifying experience from our most passionate contributors as a win-win situation where our newer members are assured they’re getting experience-driven advice, and our verified professionals get a platform where their expertise is recognized and respected.

Let’s understand Verified vs. Partnered

We distinguish between these two statuses based on the nature of your relationship with the subreddit and our team. One confirms who you are, and the other confirms what we are doing together.

‣ Verified Professional / Organization	‣ Partnered Professional / Organization
This status is for individuals or groups who have had their real-world experience and knowledge verified by the moderation team. This includes employees, interns, or active volunteers at licensed shelters, vet offices, municipal animal control, or reputable rescue initiatives.	Partnership is a specialized status reserved for those who work directly with the r/AnimalRescue moderation team on specific community-facing projects. While Partners are also verified, their role is more geared towards the growth of the subreddit. This includes hosting regularly scheduled AMAs, co-creating educational wikis, providing exclusive resources, or participating in subreddit-wide rescue initiatives and advocacy campaigns.

‣ Verified Professional / Organization

‣ Partnered Professional / Organization

This status is for individuals or groups who have had their real-world experience and knowledge verified by the moderation team. This includes employees, interns, or active volunteers at licensed shelters, vet offices, municipal animal control, or reputable rescue initiatives.

Partnership is a specialized status reserved for those who work directly with the r/AnimalRescue moderation team on specific community-facing projects. While Partners are also verified, their role is more geared towards the growth of the subreddit. This includes hosting regularly scheduled AMAs, co-creating educational wikis, providing exclusive resources, or participating in subreddit-wide rescue initiatives and advocacy campaigns.

Both tiers have the same perks associated with them. An individual or organization can hold a verified status and a partnership at the same time, but can’t hold a partnership without also holding a verification status. If a partnered individual or organization loses its verification status, it will also lose its partnered status until the verification status is restored.

Hint: If you’re verified AND partnered, your partner badge will override the verified badge visually. However, you still receive all perks that come with Partnership and Verification status.

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:bettersparkle: Are you hyped yet? Let’s talk perks!

Everyone's favorite part of being in a team: the perks! Becoming a Verified Professional isn't just about a badge—(ok maybe a little) it’s about joining a team of your peers who shape the future of our community.

Receive the Verified Professional or Verified & Partnered Professional flair on Reddit and matching roles in our Discord server.
Simply put your advice will stand out more. Verification grants you immediate credibility in discussions, helping users identify expert guidance during high-stress rescues.
[DISCORD ONLY PERK] These roles are considered ✨ Community Achievements ✨ and will appear when users run the !achievements command.
[DISCORD ONLY PERK] Gain entry to contributor-only channels where you can network with other professionals and collaborate on animal welfare initiatives. </aside>

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:bettersparkle: Requirements for Verification

We hold our verified and partnered professionals to a high standard. Before applying, please ensure you meet these minimum requirements:

You must be actively employed or volunteering at a licensed facility, grass-roots rescue, rehabilitation center, or adoption group.
[NPO/501(c)(3) Partner Only] You must possess a state/federal license, professional degree, or proof of NGO/NPO registration.
A clean history within our community—no "Rescue Shaming" or significant community guideline violations. </aside>

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:bettersparkle: Verification Guidelines & Code of Conduct

All verified community members must abide by the Verified & Partnered Professionals Code of Conduct. Key highlights include:

You are ****required to abide by Reddit’s Terms of Service & Sitewide Rules, as well as Discord’s Terms of Service & Community Guidelines.
Provide advice based on current best practices in veterinary medicine and wildlife rehabilitation.
Maintain a calm, helpful, and non-judgmental tone when interacting with distressed users.
Always prioritize the safety of the human rescuer and the animal; always encourage professional medical intervention whenever possible. </aside>

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:bettersparkle: Frequently-Asked Questions

Q: Do I have to renew my verification every year?

A: No. Verification is permanent and does not require annual renewal. However, if you change organizations or your licensing status changes significantly, we encourage you to update your information with us.

Q: Is my personal information and documentation safe?

A: Absolutely. We use Google Forms with restricted access. Your sensitive documents (licenses/IDs) are viewed only by the moderation team for verification purposes and are never shared publicly or with third parties.

Q: Can I apply if I am an international rescuer (outside the US)?

A: Yes! We welcome professionals from all over the globe. As long as you can provide proof of your local credentials or NGO status, you are eligible.

A: Yes. To ensure security and direct communication with applicants, we require the professional themselves to handle the application process rather than a third party.

Q: Do I have to submit my own application?

Q: What is the difference between "Verified" and "Verified & Partnered"?

A: "Verified" is for individual experts (e.g., a licensed Vet Tech). "Verified & Partnered" signifies that you are an official representative of a registered rescue organization or NGO, allowing for a deeper level of collaboration with our team.

Q: I am a Vet Tech or Veterinary Assistant; can I apply?

A: Yes. Any clinical professional with active experience in the field is encouraged to apply for the Verified Professional tier.

Q: I don’t have a formal license, but I have X years of experience. Can I be verified?

A: Our program is currently credential-based, However, we may consider proof of long-term affiliation with a registered NGO or NPO in lieu of a personal state license.

Q: Why do I need to sign into Google to apply?

A: This is a security measure to prevent spam and protect files during uploads. We do not receive access to your personal Google account data other than the email address provided.

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Ready? Let’s go! Apply for Professional Verification!

Current Application Status: [OPEN] - We are verifying and partnering with professionals at this time!

:bettersparkle: Final Hints from the Moderators:

Please submit your own application. Do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to write your application.
For faster verification, please upload the original PDF invoice or document from your vet/licensing body. Digital originals are much easier to verify than photos of printed paper!
Heads up! The application requires a Google sign-in to prevent spam and ensure the security of your uploaded documents. We do not gain access to any personal data other than your email address.

Questions? Reach out to us at [email protected] or use the !modcall Verification Questions command in Discord.

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